Multicylinder gas-engine.



nu.ss3,5s7. Patented on. l, |9ol.

1 J. BAuEKEn.

IULTICYLINDEB GAS ENGINE.

(Appumian nba uw 2x, 1900.)

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No. 683,587. Patented Dct. l, 190|.

J. BADEKER.

IULTICYLINDER GAS ENGINE.

(Appliticn tiled Nov. 21, 1900.)

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No. 683,587. Patented Dist. l, 190|.

J. BADEKER.

IULTICYLINDER GAS ENGINE.

(Application Mod lov. 91, 1000.), (lo lodel.) 3 Shaetl-8hoot 3.

$155555; INVENTOR.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BADEKER, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO BADEKER GAS ENGINE COMPANY, OF NEBRASKA.

MULTICYLINDER GAS-ENGINE.

sPEcFrcAtrxoN forming part of Letters Patent No; 683,587, dated october 1, ieoi. Apiioancundnovemtelfn.1900. serrano. 37271. da maar.

To fill 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN BADEKER, a citi- Zen of the United States, and a resident of Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented an Improvement in Multicylinder Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in gas-engines, and particularly to that class of engines which may be called multicylinde1" gas-engines.

It consists in an engine having a series of cylinders and a disk supporting the same, said disk having a series of annular ports or passages formed therein and adapted to supply gaseous material to the cylinders and to carry off the exhaust therefrom, as well as to supply a cooling agency to the jackets of the said cylinders.

It also consists in an engine having a plurality of cylinders, a disk, a standard for supporting the same provided with a series of ports adapted to extend to all the cylinders for delivering explosive mixtures thereto and carrying olf the exhaust, as well as for having a circulation of a cooling agent through the jackets of the cylinders, valves for controlling the inlet of the explosive mixtures to the cylinders, a cam-plate adapted to operate the valves successively, and a governor connected with the said cam-plate whereby the speed of the engine will be properly regulated.

It further consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, which willbehcreinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a front elevation of the base and standard of the gas-engine, butA showing the cylinders in section, the said sections being taken upon the lines s s and rr of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the mechanism upon line z .e of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view through one of the valves for controlling the inlet of gaseous materials to one of the cylinders. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the means for introducing gaseous material into the cylinders at the starting of the engine. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of insulating-plates, forming a commut-ator for controlling the igniters of the engine.' Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view upon the line a: ofniet.

The present invention is designed to produce a gas-engine in which a high uniform speed may be maintained under a varying load and at the same time to secure lightness and compactness in the same.

It is the object of the invention also to provide a gas-engine which may be run in either direction with equal facility, as well as to provide one which when standing still may be started in either direction without the application of external power. In embodying these features in a practical form I construct the engine preferably with a main standard A, which is mounted upon a base B. The standard A is preferably of disk shape, being comparatively thin in cross-section and of a general circular contour at its edges. The standard A is formed with -a series of passages, preferably annular, which are arranged concentrically within the material forming the standard. The ports thus constructed are employed for supplying gaseous mixtures'to the engine and taking the exhaust therefrom, as well as providing a cooling agent for the jackets of the cylinders. The outer passage or port l is preferably employed for transmitting the explosive materials to the various cylinders, while the port or annular passage 3 is arranged to receive the exhaust from each of said cylinders and to conduct the same to a suitable point. rIhe liquid cooling agent is preferably introduced into the annular passage or port 4 through the pipe h and nds an exit through the annular passage 2, passing out through a discharge-pipe g.

The cylinders C C are preferably four in number and are secured to the outer face of the standard A, as clearly illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings. Each of these cylinders C is preferably open at its inner end and is secured to the standard A by bolts, as 18 1S, passing through the material forming the cylinders and into the standard A. The outer ends of the cylinders are closed by a suitable cylinder-head and are provided with suitable igniting means, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed. The cylinder-cas- IOO ings are formed with water-jackets adapted to receive Water or other cooling agents from the annular port or passage 4, each of said water-jackets being connected with the said port 4 by means of ports 5 5. The Water enters the ports 5 upon one side of each cylinder and thence passing around the cylinders goes out through ports 6 6, which deliver said water to the annular passage or port 2. A constant circulation of water may thus be kept up through the jackets of all the cylinders for cooling the same and modifying their temperature.

Mounted upon the base B and supported thereon by means of bearings, one of which is arranged in the standard A and the other of which is located outside the said standard, as at 45, is a main power-shaft F. The end of the shaft which passes through the standard A is supported by a bearing block D, which is preferably bolted in acentral aperture formed in the said disk-standard. To one end of the shaft F is secured a crankdisk E, which' carries a Wrist-pin 16. The wrist-pin is connected through the agency of the pitmen 13 13 with pistons 11 11, adapted tomove in the said cylinders C C. Each of the pitmen 13 is screwed into a block 14, which is adapted to bear against the said wrist-pin 16. These blocks are held against the said wrist-pin by means of rings 15 15, arranged upon each side of the pitmen and surrounding'all the blocks. To prevent the blocks or the rings from slipping 0E the wrist-pin, a washer 17 is applied to the end thereof and held in position by a suitable:

bolt, the said washers being su fticiently large to inclose the blocks and rings. struction the pitmen are all connected with the Wrist-pin 16, but are capable of accommodating` themselves to the varying positions of the said wrist-pin and their respective piston-heads as they reciprocate in the cylinders. The pistons may be of any suitable design, but are preferably open at their inner ends and are provided with cross-heads 10,k adapted to fit Within their inner concavities and being secured therein'l by suitable bolts passed through the ends of the piston-heads. Each of the cross-heads 10 is provided with a slot adapted to accommodate the outer end of its pitman 13, and a pivot-pin 12 is passed through the piston-head, cross-head, and pitman for pivotally connecting the parts. `The pivot-pins 12 are preferably made shorter than the diameter ot' the piston-heads, so that there will be a space left at each end of the pivot-pins for collecting oil or other lubricants, and thereby thoroughly insuring the lubricating of the said pins and their connections with the pitmen. Oil or other lubricantmay be supplied to the said piston-head through the casings of the cylinders from oilcups a a, mounted upon the upper side of the said cylinders. This system of lubrication is'simple and yet makes it possible to keep l the parts in easy running order at all times.

By this con-- In the endsl of the cylinders C are inserted the igniters b, which are preferably of an ordinary type for the use of a jump-spark. Such igniters may comprise stationary electrodes extending into the ends of the cylinders, one electrode being thoroughly and completely insulated from the other, as well as from the cylinder-head carrying the same. Each of the igniters has one of its electrodes connected by means of a wire e With a commutator, which is secured to the bearing D, one member of the commutator being also secured upon the shaft F.

As just stated, the commutator is madeup of two plates, one of which, 30, is movably mounted upon a hub formed on the bearingplate D and contains a series of contact plugs or pieces 31 31, there being a suicient nurnber of these to be connected by the wires e e with one of the electrodes in each cylinder.

The other plate of the commutator 34 is se cured tothe shaft F by a key or spline, so as to turn with the same, and is provided with a conducting-plate 32, which is vannular in shape and embedded in the material composing the said plate. Each of the said plates 30 and 34 is made of insulating material,so that one contact-piece is thoroughly insulated from another. In order to connect the conductor 32 with the contact-blocks 31, a block 48 is arranged in a passage extending through the plate 34 and is connected with the conductorplate 32 by means of a spring 33. The said spring 33 operates to hold the block 48 in constant contact with the face of the plate 30,

and the said block is arranged so as to bein a path which crosses all of theblocks 3.1. As the shaft F revolves, therefore, the block 48 will be brought into contact With each of the blocks 31 successively and permit a current `torpass through the plate 32 and the b1ock'3l to the wire e and its electrodes.

In order to connect the conductor 32 with the source of electrical power employed for operating the igniters, I preferably mount a spring 35 upon an insulated block 36, secured to thebase B, and permit its free end to rest in snug contact with the annular plate 32. The said spring 35 may be connected by a wire, as p, with a battery or other source of velectrical power, the said battery being also connected with a metal of the engine, so as to reach the non-insulated electrode of each 'igniten A circuit is thus completed through the igniters, and as the disk or plate 34 revolves with the shaft F a circuit will be com,-y pleted through each of the blocks 31 successively and be carried to the electrode connected therewith. This construction, while simple, makes it possible to accomplish important results, for byvturning the pla/[e30 upon the hub of the bearing D thel positions of the blocks 31 can be altered to produce the sparks in the cylinders C at different times. The engine may thus be driven in either direction by changing the position of the said plate 30 and the spark may be pro-v IOO IIO

duced at a time which will exert the most force upon the pistons in their movements. It will also be seen that in starting the engine the plate 30 can be so moved as toignite the gas or other explosive mixture in any one of the cylinders, a cylinder being selected, of course, which will start the engine in the desired direction. Any suitable handle, as seen at 30 in Fig. 5 of the drawings, may be secured to the plate 30 for turning the same.

Each of the cylinders is connected, by means of a port 8, with the outer annular port 1 of the disk A. A port 7 also connects the innerV ends of the cylinders with the exhaust port or passage 3. The ports 7 are controlled by the operations of the pistons, the said ports being always opened after the charge has been ignited in the cylinder and driven the same to its innermost position. The introduction of the gaseous mixture into the cylinders, however, is to be controlled by a valve of a suitable character. For this purpose I arrange a valve 9 opposite each port S for controlling the passage of the explosive material into the said ports from the port 1. These valves are of a usual type and find a seat upon a removable casing or plug 29, which is screwed into the disk A in line with the port 1, the said plug being provided with a passage extending through it, which coincides with the passage or port 1. The stem of the valve 9 is secured at its outer end to a plug or packing-piece 27, which projects beyond the plug orcasing 29. A spring 28, interposed between the plug 29 and the head or plug 27 of the stem, normally holds the valve 9 to its seat. The outer end of each plug 27 is provided with an annular recess or groove adapted to receive the end of an operating-lever 25. The lever 25 is pivoted upon a plate or supporting-piece 19, secured to the disk A. Also pivoted in said plate 19 is a second lever 20, which is provided with a projection adapted to engage a corresponding projection on the lever 25 for operating the same. Springs 24 andf26 are interposed between the plate 19 and the levers 2O and 25, respectively, for forc-A ing them away from the plate at those points. The outer free end of the lever 25 is preferably bifurcated for engaging the groove in the plug 27. The inner end of each lever 20 is provided with an antifriction-roller 2l, which for the avoidance of noise and concussion is preferably made of ibroid or some similar resilient substance. It will be apparent that by forcing the antifricton-roller 2 inwardly the levers 20 and 25 will be so operated as to lift the valve 9 from its seat and permit the introduction of a gaseous mixture into the cylinder controlled by that particular valve. Each valve 9 is provided with the same system of levers, the inner ends of all the levers 9 having their antifriction-rollers 2l arranged in the path of a cam carried by a camplate 37. The said cam-plate 37 is splined upon the shaft F, so as to revolve with the same, but be capable of a longitudinal movement thereon. As the cam-plate revolves,- its cam will depress the rollers 21 in succession and open said valves 9, as just described.

Through the agency of the cam-plate 37 I am enabled to govern the speed of the engine, and for this purpose l connect the said camplate with a governor, comprising levers 41 41, pivotally mounted upon a disk 43 and'carrying governor balls or weights 42 at their free ends. The inner ends of the levers 41 are pivotally connected, by means of links 39,- with the said cam-plate 37. The disk 43 is rigidly secured to the shaft F. A spring 40 of suitable strength is interposed between the cam-plate 37 and the disk 43 and normally holds the said plate so that it will actuate the levers 20 and 25 for opening the valves 9 as the cam-plate 37 revolves with its shaft. As the speed of the engine increases, however, the balls 42 will be forced outwardly by centrifugal force, and the levers 41 and the links 39 will operate to draw the camplate 37 toward the disk 43, the extent of such movement being governed by the strength of the spring 40. It will be seen, ofcourse, that as the camplate 37, revolves if it attains its greatest distance from the plate 43 ,it will open the valves 9 to their widest extent. As the speed of the engine increases, however, and the plate 37 is drawn toward the disk 43 by the action of the governor the cam will cease to depress the antifriction-rollers 21 to such an extent and may at times not depress the same at all, so that some explosions will be omitted in the engine until the speed is properly diminished. A device of this kind is found to operate perfectly in regulating the speed of the engine under varying loads. A suitable fly-wheel Q is secured to the shaft F to render the motion of the engine as even as possible, and the belt-wheel S may be also carried by the said shaft for communicating motion from the engine to other machinery. I also contemplate supplying the gaseous mixtures for running the engine to the port 1 by means of a compressing and gasifying mechanism operated by the engine itself. In carrying out this feature of the invention a suitable eccentric, as at 44, is arranged upon the shaft F and is adapted to operate the piston 46 of a pump P. The pump will thus force air through the pipe R to a gasolene-tank G and also through the pipe M to a gasifier or vaporizer H. The air entering the chamber G maintains a constant pressure upon the gasolene or other hydrocarbon oil placed therein and will force the same through a small pipe o first into the vaporizer H, where it will be mixed thoroughly with the air entering through the pipe M, the explosive mixture thus produced passing through the pipe 50 to the port 1 of the engine. A constant supply of air and gas properly mixed may thus be supplied to the engine through the agency of its own power.

When it is desired to start the engine, the operation will be as follows: A plate 23,

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mounted in the central aperture of the standard A, will be turned by means of a suitable handle, so that a finger or projection 49, secured to said plate, will be forced yinto the aperture 22 of one of the levers 20, the angular position of the said projection 49 being 'such as to draw the end of the lever 20 thus engaged inwardly. This will operate to open one of the valves 9 and admit the explosive mixture into the end of the cylinder opposite the said valve. The 'plate 30 is next turned until the electrode of that cylinder is placed in circuit with the battery or other source of electrical power and a spark is produced for igniting the mixture in the cylinder. This will operate to start the engine, when the cam A-plate 37 will commence to open the valves 9 in succession and the explosion will be repeated in other cylinders. The plate 23 may be reversed to bring the 'projection 49 opposite any set of valve-levers, the said projection when the plate 23 is thus reversed forcing the inner ends of the levers 2O outwardly as it passes beneath them. This reverse operation will of course not cause any actuation of the levers 25. The fly-wheel Q will favor the maintaining of the momentum thus inaugurated,and the engine will quickly develop its usual speed. The direction in which the engine travels may be regulated by selecting the proper cylinder in starting the engine and by regarding the position of the wristpin on the crank-disk when start ing the engine. The position of the plate 30 also will regulate the time at which the spark is produced in each cylinder.

By the construction above described it will be seen that I have been able to produce an engine of simple design'and one in which the weights of the pistons are balanced against each other and in which the movement of the pistons is such that there can be no deadcenters in running the engines. By this construction also it is possible to obtain fourimpulses for each revolution of the shaft, which is found to insure great steadiness in action. The engine is also light and compact and easily controlled. Of course the number of cylinders is not essential to the running of the engine, and a greater or less number of cylinders may be employed Without departing from this invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

yl. A gas-engine comprisinga standard having arranged within it a series of continuous ports adapted to connect with a series of stationary cylinders, a series of cylinders mounted upon the said standard and arranged so as to be in communication with said ports whereby they may receive explosive materials from one of said ports in the standard and may etats? exhaust into one of said ports, and means for connecting the pistons in the said cylinders with a suitable shaft, substantially as described.

2. A gas-engine comprising a plurality of stationary cylinders, a standard for support ing the same, the said standard being provided With inlet and exhaust annular passages Which are in communication with all the cylinders, whereby the explosive mate'- rial necessary for operating the cylinders may be delivered to all of them and the exhaust from each of the cylinders may be removed therefrom, substantially as described.

3. A gas-engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, a standard supporting the same and provided witha series of annular ports, water-jackets formed around the said cylinders and connected with some of the ports in the standard, whereby the circulation of waL ter or other cooling agent may be forced through them, and means for introducing and delivering an explosive mixture to the cylinders from one of said annular passages, while the exhaust from the cylinders is collected by another of said annular passages and carried to a suitable point of discharge, substantially as described.

4. A gas-engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, pistons moving in the same and connected with a common crank-pin, a shaft operated by the said crank-pin, a disk-standard at one side of the cylinders for supporting them, the said cylinders being arranged upon the said standard, so that the weight of the pistons balance each other, the said standard being also provided with a series of annular ports extending through the same and arranged so as to deliver gaseous materials to each of the cylinders and to remove the burned products of combustion therefrom, some of said annular passages also being adapted to deliver a cooling liquid to the casings of each cylinder, substantially as described. y

5. A gas-engine comprising a plurality of cylinders, a disk-standard for supporting the same having a series of annular passages formed therein, one of said passages being arranged to deliver explosive materials to all of the cylinders, valves for controlling the inlet of the said materials, and a governing mechanism mounted upon the engine-shaft for controlling the opening of said valves, according to the speed of the engine, substantially as described. p

In testimony whereof I hereunto aihx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN BADEKER.

Witnesses:

D. RIsLnY, ELI HoDGINs.

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